Monday, December 15, 2008

Adapting to Life in Between

Most people spend a good portion of time living somewhere between setting a goal and achieving that goal. For millions of people right now, that goal is finding a well-paying job that meets their other needs for a satisfying career, including: opportunity, creativity, flexibility, stability, feasibility, and longevity. We start out at point A and we head toward point B, but somehow, while we’re on the road in between, we sometimes find ourselves on detours that happen when life gets in the way of our plans.

Life in between can be inconvenient, messy, expensive and unexpected. It can also be surprising, interesting, life-altering and… unexpected, only in a really good way. Sometimes it takes walking down a path we wouldn’t have chosen, to discover that more than one path can lead to happiness and a whole new career we may have never known existed or existed for us when we drew up the original map.

There may be several things that led you to where you are today -- or maybe it was just one thing that was completely outside of your control. Perhaps you were laid off due to department cutbacks, or maybe you are one of hundreds or thousands affected by a plant closing. Or it may be that your job is safe - for now - but you’re proactively researching your options so you’re prepared if a RIF or pink slip should affect you. Some people thrive on change. You may be one of them. Or you may be among the majority of people who struggle to accept change.

You may be changing careers or fields due to an accident or an injury, or because you need increased flexibility to manage other obligations. You have your reasons and you know what they are.

There are many people who are very successful as small business owners. They appreciate the flexibility it offers and the opportunity hard work can bring. And they don’t mind the extra accounting hassles of saving receipts and taking responsibility for their own taxes. There are others who would rather make less money but have the security of a paycheck every two weeks along with the benefits that often come with working for a larger organization.

Adapting to life in between means sometimes you’ll need to do things that are outside your comfort zone to pay the bills. That may include freelancing, providing service work like landscaping or housekeeping, selling unused items online or via consignment, or starting a home business just to keep money coming in until the economy turns around.

You may be surprised to find that something you didn’t expect to enjoy turns out to be a career you later pursue with enthusiasm. Or you may simply feel good about your ability to adapt to difficult circumstances with perseverance and grace. Don’t be afraid to expand your horizons and try something outside your comfort zone in your quest to create job security.

You never know the possibilities that await you right around life’s next corner, in between where you started out and where you thought you were heading. Creating Job Security, The 2009 All-in-One Workbook is now available for $30, tax and shipping within the U.S. included, at www.GraduateGroup.com.

It's like a story my son's teacher told us shortly after he was diagnosed with autism. You plan to visit Paris all your life, book the trip, learn the history, map out a wonderful itinerary and once the plane takes-off, the pilot tells you you're not going to Paris, you're now going to Norway. Norway is a beautiful country, wonderful history and elegant hotels but it's just different from what you expected. My life as a special needs dad has been an incredible journey. I’ve learned to be more compassionate, patient and understanding and have a deviation from the "typical" path to thank for this experience.

I truly enjoyed reading your post. I can absolutely relate to, taking a different path that normally wouldn’t have been a choice, and finding the joy you’ve been looking for. Sometimes we forget that this is even an option and we focus on a career that has never really fulfilled us. I am so glad that we are finally talking about this. I have many friends that after a college degree chose to change their careers because it wasn’t what they expected.

I've also found out that sometimes a passion or a hobby can become the "career that we never knew exited," or at the very least a good source of supplemental income in times of need.

I will leave you with a quote a friend shared with me, "If you really want to know what your future will be, create it" - it really inspires me to keep setting goals and keeps my eyes open to opportunities.

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About Me

Hi, my name is Debra Yergen and I’m the author of Creating Job Security. As a professional writer for 16 years, through good economies and not-so-good economies, I’ve learned what it takes to create job security. I’ve written four books, served as editor for three magazines, and worked as a columnist or contributor for nearly 20 magazines based in the U.S, Canada and the UK. In the process I discovered seven key factors, that when arranged into a working scoring model, can actually predict which jobs will enable you to create your own job security. Each week, I’ll share the secrets I uncover right here with you.